Engine



Juli 6,1926.

' J. R. WARREN ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12 1925 July 6,1926. r 1,591,589

J. R. WARREN ENGINE Filed Jan. 12, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwwntom 25 12am: %q

.R. VVarrez y J. R. WARREN 1,591,589

ENGINE Filed Jan. 12, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet a Patented July 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,591,589 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. WARREN, OF GRAND RAPIDS,

MICHIGAN, ASSIG-NOR TO HIMSELF, DONALD J. CAMPBELL, OF MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, lvIICI-IIGAN, CHARLES E. JOHNSON, PAUL It. BEARDSLEY, AND CARL P. DAMM, ALL OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, TRUSTEES.

ENGINE.

Application filed January 12, 1925.. Serial No. 1,754.

The present invention relates to engines, particularly those of the internal-combustion type; and its object is to provide improved means for lubricating a rotary valve employed to control the admission of the expansive or explosive fluid to the cylinder of the engine.

These and any other objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the structure hereinafter particularly described in the body of this'specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of an internalcombustion engine embodying my invention certain parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an under side View of a valve bushing;

Figure 4 is an upper side view of the same;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional- View of certain parts taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4'; and

Figure 6 is a like view of ing a modified construction.

In the embodiment of my invention chosen for illustration by, the drawings and for detailed description in the body of this specification, the invention is shown in connecthe same, showtion with a four-cycle type of internal-combustion engine having six cyllnders, l, 2 and 3 thereof appearing in diametrical longitudinal section in Figure 1. The cylinders have pistons 4, 5, 6, furnished with connecting rods 7, 8, 9 for operating the cranks 1O, 11, 12 respectively, on the crank shaft orengine shaft 57. At their upper ends, the cylinders have ports 61, 62,

into and for the expulsion of the products of combustion therefrom. These cylinders are supported on the frame, designated generally 1 1, of the engine and are slightly movable relatively thereto in their longitude which casing,

63 respectively for the admission of the operating fluid there respectively. This valve casing comprises two portions, being longitudinally split at least at one side at 20, the upper portion 18 of which is supported in connection with and, as shown, forms essentially a part of the frame 14, and the lower portion 19 of adjacent the cylinders ports, is supported in connection with and, as shown, forms essentially a part of the cylinders. The cylinders are mounted in vertical guides 80 that they may have a slight movement relatively to the frame as above stated. By reason of this mounting the two portions 18, 19 of the valve casing may be pressed toward each other, and the valve casings lower portion 19 or tantamount thereto, the casings bushing 34) is yieldingly held in contact with the valve itself.

Preventing leakage between the two portions of the valve casing, a bushing or sleeve 34k in said casing surrounds the rotary valve and has openings 35 which register withthe cylinders ports respectively. To provide for the expansion and contraction of this bushing, it is provided with slits 36 not register ing with the joint between the casings two portions; It will be seenthat, although the rotary valve 15 (and the bushing with it) may expand through heating, 1t will not bind or stick in its chamber, inasmuch as the cylinders and the lower or second portion 19 of the valvewcasing are permitted to slightly move relatively to the frame and the casings upper or first portion 18 and thus expand the valve chamber in a vertical direction sufficiently to prevent such binding or sticking, at the same time retaining the valve sufiici-ently tight in its chamber, particularly in the region of the cylinders ports, to prevent leakage. Inasmuch as valve leakage is principally occasionedby pressure in the cylinder due to the expansive fluid therein (in the case of steam engines and the like) or by the firing of the explosive fluid therein (in the case of internal-combustion engines), orand in less degree-by the compression stroke of internal-combustion engines, it will be seen that this very pressure is the force which tightens the valve at the very time it tends to leak, and that when such pressure expends itself such tightening of the valve ceases. The valve is hollow, having longitudinally extending passages 24,

25 to which the fluid is supplied from a vent 26 in the block carrying the cylinders, the fluid thence passing through a series of inlets :31. through the valves wall, and to each cylinders port tl'irourgh dian'ietrically opposite opening 28, 29 in the valves wall, the products of combustion being discharged from each cv inder througl diametrically opposite oul ets 30, 31 through the valves wall and into its longitudinally extending pas- 32, 33 opening at the ends of the valve intoexhaust pipes Theseinlets, openlugs and outlets through the valves wall are so disposed angularly of the valve that the sequence of supply to andexhaust from the several cylinders is properly timed.

For lubricating the valve, the valve casing has an. inlet '90 leading to its interior so that oil may be supplied thereto from a suitable source of supply, as the chamber in the crank casing 92, oil being forced therefrom by suitable means and conduits (not shown). This inl'etopens into a channel 93 in the inner surface of the casing, such channel extending in the longitudinal or axial direction of the valve casin The bushing 35% has orifices 94; spaced angularly from said channel 98 and inlet 90, whereby the oil may pass from said inlet and chan nel, and between. the bushing and the casing to the bushings interior to lubricate the valve. These, orifices 9a are preferably so spaced longitudinally of the bushing as to not register with the bushings openings 35 into the valves ports.

It will be seen that by the firing stroke of the engine the lower portion 19 of the alve casing being thereby pressed upwardly will slightly compress the bushing 34: in "a vertical direction; which bushing, being held at its upper side as by the key 101 against rotation and being somewhat resilient, will slip at its outer surface-adjacent the channel 93 and orifices 9 1 in the bushing-on the inner surface of the valve casing. This slipping back and forth, al though slight, being repeated at each firing stroke of the engine, causes the oil to be worked between the bushing and the valve casing, thence passing through the orifices 9 1 to the valve itself. The oil returns to the crank cases chamber 92 through the passage 100.

Inasmuch as a partial vacuum in the cvlinders may cause too much oil to pass through the orifices 9 1 in the bushing, these orifices are made to communicate with the outside atmosphere by means of passages 17 opening into a groove 81 the valve casing extending in its longitudinal or axial direction. This groove is desirably provided with a lip 82 contacting the outer surface of the bushing and adapted to receive oil therefrom and return the same through said groove to the crank casing. The bushing is desirably formed from a flat metallic sheet which is cut to provide the necessary openings therethrough to register with the cylinders ports 61, 62, G3, and then bent into circular cross-sectional form, one of its edge portions being bent outwardly to form the key 101 to engage a keyway 91 in the valve casing extending in its axial direction. The bushing thus formed may be smoothed out or machined into true circular cross-sectional form by a burnisher or the like.

In the preferable construction shown in Figure 6, the groove 81 is formed in the lower portion 19 of the valve, casing, and its communication with the atmosphere is afforded by the split 20 between the upper and lower portions of the valve-casing. It will be seen that the adjacent edges of, the bushing are spaced apart at 27 to allow for the expansion and contraction of the bushing. Shallow grooves 38 may be formed in the inner surface, of the bushing to retain lubricatingoil. A siphon water pipe is indicated at 39 and an air pipe at 95.

The engines crank shaft may be geared to the vertical shaft 40, between the third and fourth cylinders and rotatable in bearings ll on the frame, said shaft having a skew gear ,4c2 meshing with a skew gear a?) driving the rotary valve 15, whereby the valve is rotated by the crank shaft; the gear ratios of the skew gears being such as to properly time the valves rotation to the crank shaftsrotation. It will be seen that this arrangement and disposition of the means for rotating the valve is peculiarly compact and positive and effective in operation. .A water jacket surrounds the cylinders, the water containing space being designated e4, 45.

The present invention is an improvement on that set forth andv claimed in Patent No. 1,439,932, issued December 26, 1922, to myself and certain assignees.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In an engine: a frame;-a cylinder; a rotary-valve casing having a port communicating with the cylinder and an oil-supplying inlet leading to the casings interior; a flexible bushing, between the casing and the hereinafter-mentioned valve, having an opening registering with said port and an orifice for the passage of oil from said inlet and between the bushing and the casing to the bushings interior, said orifice being spaced angularly from said inlet and communicating with the atmosphere; a valve rotatable in the casing and adapted to open and close said. port.

2. In an engine: a frame; a cylinder; a

rotary-valve casing having a port co1nmunieating with the cylinder and an oil-supplying inlet leading to the casings interior and having also a groove extending in its axial direction communicating with the atmos phere and provided with a lip contacting the hereinafter-mentioned bushing; a flexible bushing, between the casing and the hereinafter-mentioned Valve, having an opening registering with said port and an orifice for the passage of oil from said inlet and between the bushing and the casing to the bushings interior, said orifice being spaced angularly from said inlet and communicating with said groove; a valve rotatable in the casing and adapted to open and close said port.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 27th day of December, 1924.

JOHN R. l/VARREN. 

